Abstract
Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may have an effect on maternal anxiety and influence postpartum experience. Objective: To study the prevalence of maternal anxiety in late pregnancy in the context of the COVID-19 outbreak in Brazil and to analyze its association with maternal knowledge and concerns about the pandemic. Methods: This was a national multicenter cross-sectional study performed in 10 different public university hospitals, between 1 June and 31 August 2020, in Brazil. The inclusion criteria were: maternal age more than 18 years; gestational age more than 36 weeks at childbirth; single alive newborn without malformations; and absence of mental disorders. We applied a structured questionnaire to explore the knowledge and concerns about COVID-19. Maternal anxiety was assessed using the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). Results: Of the 1662 women interviewed, the BAI score in late pregnancy indicated that 13.9% presented moderate and 9.6% severe maternal anxiety. Moderate or severe maternal anxiety was independently associated with the fear of being unaccompanied at childbirth (aOR1.12, 95% CI 1.10–1.35), and independent protective factors were confidence in knowing how to protect oneself from COVID-19 (aOR0.89, 95% CI 0.82–0.97) and how to safely breastfeed (aOR0.89, 95% CI 0.83–0.95). Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic has a significant impact on maternal anxiety.
Highlights
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak represents a major source of stress for pregnant women [1]
Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) scores in late pregnancy indicate that 13.9% presented moderate and 9.6% severe anxiety
There were 3.2% of participants diagnosed with COVID-19 previously during pregnancy and 5.2% with a family member diagnosed with COVID-19
Summary
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak represents a major source of stress for pregnant women [1]. This pandemic is a challenge worldwide and interventions to minimize the impact on people’s quality of life are imperative. Pregnant women have had to face various factors during the pandemic, including quarantine policies, social isolation, unemployment, fear of falling ill and having the disease affect loved ones. All of these factors may negatively impact women’s mental well-being.
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